Soozanne,

Another Awesome blog! I can't contribute much on your question about getting outside of my comfort zone, because I am a first sentence Christian at this point.  However, your blog really makes me think about how much more I could or should do and I think that may be a good step in the right direction.  I suspect you haven't gotten many responses because most folks out there are alot like me. Then again I suppose it is also difficult to write something that may come off as sounding righteous or bragging as well (like ooohh look at what I do....lol) especially since we are called to be humble. But I get that your point is hey let's share some ideas so that we can all learn from each other and become better Christians. 

I have been thinking about something that was said in the movie "Evan Almighty" (Really, a funny movie in my opinion).  Morgan Freeman played the role of God and he said to Evan/Noah (a paraphrase) "All it takes to change the world is an Act of Random Kindness.  I don't often take profound biblical statements from secular movies, but that one seems to apply as a way to start and step outside of our comfort zone.  

Just a thought.

God Bless 

Hey Soozanne,

If we laid out all the ministry possiblities, we think there would be One that Jesus would do something about, above all others, right away... Abortion.

We don't know why exactly... but it seems that many Christians turn a blind eye to what is going on down at their abortion clinic. They want No involvement with it at all.  Why? 

When was the last time you heard your Church ask for people to join them as sidewalk witnessess down at the abortion clinic?  Never?
 

The first time I went down there, another big heartache that I had, was there were only four believers out of the whole of Denver metro area (millons), who came to pray and beg mother's not to kill their unborn babies!  ~  Why?
  

I guess I can understand the importance of taking a mission trip down to Africa, but could the money have been better spent (dollar for dollar), saving the life of an unborn child right here in our own city?

It certainly takes the guess work out of it. You don't have to worry about how they will retain the information or what they will do with your gifts that you brought, you will know immediately that it's made a difference (the life of a child will have been saved).

What we do is, we stand at the abortion clinics entrance and plead with people coming into the parking lot, saying things like, "please don't kill your baby..," please we will help you." And by the power of God... and the conviction of the Spirit, many women change their minds!
 

At the 20th and Vine location in Denver, over 34 babies have been saved this year!!  Small in comparison to the number that were killed, but it sure makes a difference to the 34 that lived!!  That's 34 Moms that do not have to live with the grief that they killed their child all the rest of their lives.

Hope you receive this is in the spirit it is sent, with love and concern for all the little ones who are being killed everyday.  I think this is what Jesus would do.

Blessings to you, Connie.

R is exactly right. The other day someone took a line from the democratic ( and radical leftist "christian") playbook saying, that Christians spend all of their time fighting abortion and homosexuality and don't care about AIDS or the environment. Oh really? If that is the case then we are certainly not doing hardly anything.

Jesus would start with abortion because he cares first about human life. How many mega-churches in cities have abortuaries, human slaughter houses right around the corner and they've made no attempts to shut them down????

This holocaust is far worse than Hitler even dreamed of and yet we poke our fingers into other countries business??? No, He'd clean house at home first.

Hi Soozanne,

This is Connie, R's wife again,
 
Fear was my biggest obstacle.  I thought about going down there for years, I didn’t know what to expect. Funny how people will go to the dentist,  and even dare one another to ride a ride at the amusement Park.
 
Yet doing the thing that has a great reward in God’s eyes, some would rather go to the dentist than to dare this. 

Interesting how recon mentions Hitler. I wonder how many believers lived around the death camps then and said, “I don’t want to be involed, this is their problem, not mine?”

Let God hold your hand and go for it. If you can't speak just pray your witness of being there is important.  Once a week a young mother with her two small childern spends 2 or 3 hours at the gates of hell and just holds up her children and saying please Mom don't do it.  Hey Dad your kids need you.  This young women has touched many.  

Keep us posted,  Connie R's wife 

P.S. Don't forget to wear a cross, maybe even make a sign, "please don't kill your child, I will help you." 

Hi All,

I agree with all of your posts on Abortion. 

Of note though... after reaching a high of over 1.6 million in 1990, the number of abortions annually performed in the U.S. has dropped back to levels not seen since the late 1970s. 2003 dropped to 1,287,000. Scary that it is still in the millions.  Over 45 million babies have been lost since Roe vs Wade....

Not nearly low enough, but at least the trend is going in the right direction (Just trying to stay positive about a really negative subject).  I agree it would be great if folks would do more. Although I have to wonder if witnessing at the clinic is most affective use of time (not saying it isn't, because it well could be...) not because it doesn't work, especally for the babies it saves, but just thinking out loud, if maybe there is a more effective way to make a difference. Just off the top of my head I am thinking how cool it would be if the Christian community would set up a web site with familes who have volunteered to adopt the babies and pay for the birth expenses (Basically a large collabrative effort between churches and members to form a new more effective private adoption agency here in the US).  The money would have to be set up in an escrow type account held by the church and when the baby is delivered and turned over they could adopt the baby. Then the funds would then be realeased to the Mother for the expenses... Obviously there are lots of holes in this and it would need to be thought out much much further, lots of legalities I am sure.  But the overriding point I am trying to get to is it would be cool if the church as a community would setup and care for the babies when the mothers won't or can't.  Another possibility would be to just provide or pay for private health insurance for the mothers during the period of the pregnancy, then if the Mothers were up for it could raise the babies themselves. I would imagine the lack of money and health insurance is among the leading reasons for abortions, but that is just a guess, I am obviously no authority on this subject.

Of course even better would be to educate the mothers early enough so they don't make these bad choices.  Are we doing all we can as a community in the area of education and awareness?  Maybe lobbying to the school board could be effective as well, less confrontational but could be as effective if a good ciriculum (SP?) was developed. The old bannana movie just isn't really cutting it in my opinion. 

I am curious for those who have been to a clinic (I never have) to help and witness.  What sort of assistance have you provided to the Mothers? Not being coy, but I am curious if it was money, or emotional support or something else?

I guess what I am wondering is how these interventions typically go?

I am glad you guys are doing this, so please don't misunderstand me, I think it is Awesome and you will be rewarded for it, I just thinking about movements from within the whole church instead of individual members...  

God Bless

JJ 

Hey,

I don't mean this to come across, as a personal attack on JJ; but this is the way these arguments (ideas), have always come across to me.
 

Before Jesus would get the troops marching in the right direction, and to do something that we know works, there comes along a person who wants to stop the proactive thing to do; because they want to continue to experiment with ideas that they are probably not willing to fund or be in charge of. And JJ is not alone (in our opinion), most Churches have been discussing (off and on), new and improved ways for years, but have done nothing more effective in saving the life of 1 child, than to beg and plead with the mothers and fathers right at the door of the abortion clinic.

Also, one note on the numbers that JJ sites. The numbers he lists, as to suggest the culture might be getting better; sadly is not the case. The reality is, the availability of all the new abortifacient drugs that are now on the market, is lowering the reportable cases of abortions needed. The culture at many schools across the nation is either take the morning after pills or get an abortion, the numbers we believe, is going up, not down.

"The trend (ungodliness)," that JJ mentions, is not going in a positive direction, they are just finding new ways to kill the child.  ~  But hey, if JJ feels he has a good idea... one that he is willing to pitch where it all started (Colorado); we'd like to welcome him to call in to our local program and discuss it with our local Pastor who has been confronting abortion since it was passed into law. Call 1-800-836-9278... Mon-Fri 3pm MST, we'd like to hear you discuss it with him.
 

me R... (they will kill many today). Lets' roll? 

JJ

The best way to find out WHAT these interventions do or have done is to come on down and intervene. I've seen babies that would have been murdered born because of those in front of the abortuaries.

It is not enough to sit around and wonder AND certainly not to believe the press (even "christian" at times). We've also had abortuaries go out of business in my area because of interventions. The main reason there "might" be less abortions is because of the stigma (and fear) that "doctors" have of the whole dirty industry.

I actually feel very sorry for abortionists at times. They are the most hated and isolated of all! Read Lime5 to get the real low down on all of this or the Rescuers by Paul DePerrie.

Most people who have been in front of abortuaries are already very actively involved in their CPC's and many have adopted their own that would have even been aborted. It's just the next logical step of action. Many churches, because of fear and ignorance or scripture, never really got involved in the 80's and early 90's and, thus, missed the blessing of God (but there is still time).

As to the number of babies murdered (or even adults), even one murdered's blood cries out from the ground. Look at Abel! 

Soozanne,

I agree completely.  

R, I hope it didn't sound like I was suggestiong that demonstrating wasn't effective, becasue that was not my intent at all. I was simply wondering/suggesting if the Church as a whole has any kind of collabrative effort aimed at this issue? Would seem like a great way to make a great impact if they did. 

Recon, You are right that would be the best way to find out, but that isn't something I feel led to do at this point. I just figured I could learn from some people who had actually experienced it.  Maybe hear a heart felt story about an affect they had on someones life... 

Soozanne's Blog asked What would Jesus do? and I was kinda just wondering out loud, would he demonstrate or would he influence the Church Leaders to get the Church to act as one unifying group?  I don't know the answer, and maybe he would do both. Or maybe take a different approach all together. He certainly doesn't think in the same ways as we do...

I think there is probably only one positive thing that a person can think of when it comes to abortion.  And that is that all of the baby victims will not have to suffer a depraved life here on earth but will move on to Heaven and be there waiting to greet us with Joy! I truly believe that God can bring good out of all things no matter how bad they appear to us.  

I am not trying to turn Suzanne's blog into an Abortion blog or anything controversial, but I am wondering when the Women leave the clinic, do the demonstartors still try to minister/witness to them about Chirst? The news media always portrays them as being ugly and violent towards them (Again I have no idea, I have never ben there), and if that really happens I don't think it would be a Chirst like behavior. I would imagine that he would try to open their eyes to Christianity so that they could be saved, even after their sinful act. I guess this sort of begs that questions? Are there degrees to sin? How should a non-believer be treated by a Chirsitian if they knowingly commit an act of sin (any differently than a member of a church who engages in gossip)? Should we still embrace them with the same love we were going to before they committed the sin? Hard to do I would imagine... Maybe I should just go and witness these things for myself, that might save alot of strife between Christians here on MyChurch.

God Bless 

Hey Soozanne,

We hope that people will take Christ lead (to save innocent blood), and stand with us, even if it's on the otherside of the country. Don't let fear stop you. If all you can do is stand there and pray, do that. The people that are vocal can do the rest.

And by the grace of God and the power of the Spirit... women, workers and fathers... they can all be drawn through the presence of Christ in us. 

To answer something that JJ brought up in an earlier post (not the one above), I want to add this. 

JJ asked what do the people who stand outside the abortion clinic, offer to the women who chose not to kill their babies?

We offer them alternatives to abortion by providing practical information regarding where they can get counseling, education, material goods and referrals.
 
In Denver we have limited resources (because so few want to be involved), so each person has a packet of information they provide with their own money. My packet has: Information on Crisis pregnancy counseling  ~  Adoption counseling  ~  Alternatives pregnancy centers  ~  Help and hope for those working through Post-Abortion Stress  ~  "Why Aren’t Women Being Told…" this is a little pamphlet that tells why induced abortions raise breast cancer risk.  ~  Types of Abortion information – Many women do not realize all the types of induced abortion and what can cause mild to severe injury to the mother. 

Other facts: In most cases a woman chooses abortion to accommodate the wishes of others who do not welcome her child. ~  Almost every abortion performed in America is an elective procedure done on a perfectly healthy woman and a perfect baby for non-medical reasons.

Our local church in Denver not only spends time on the picket line but welcomes women who choose not to kill their child to the congregation. We welcome them into our Church where they can receive help from other members (Denver Bible Church).  They will help the mother find food, shelter, go through the pregnancy with the mom, and sometimes even be her labor coach.

This thought comes to mind: "Clearly good is done by Christians who have a heart for the unborn child." Proverbs 7:16 says in part, There are six things which the Lord hates, one is, Hands that shed innocent blood."

How much more innocent can one be than in their mothers womb???  

I beg of you on Christ's behalf for the innocent unborn children, please stand with us. 

Connie & R... 

  

R,

You said: "...but welcomes women who choose not to kill their child to the congregation."

Do you also reach out to the women that did? 

JJ

this is a great misunderstanding IMHO, I've never been to a sidewalk event by prolifers in front of an abortuary that was a "demonstration"... this implies merely political action, etc.

I don't think most prolifers would view their actions as a "demonstration". This is terminology IMHO used by the enemy or those who do not understand possibly to dissuade others from joining? 

R,

Thats Awesome that you have reached out to the women coming out as well! I have to say that I thought you may not have..., but I am genuinely encouraged to know that you are trying to reach them both ways regardless of thier sin.  I may have to check out a local "abortuary" as Recon call it.  I like that name... :-)

Recon,

You are probably right, I have always pictured it as a demonstration, with shouting and alot of hate, but I only get my idea of this from the media, since I haven't witnessed it for myself.

Thanks for the info on this I find it very interesting.

God Bless